Mac Jones led the San Francisco 49ers to a shocking 26-23 upset over the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday, but not before his day began in very bizarre fashion.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, “That morning at the team hotel in Marina del Rey, Jones told teammates he was on his balcony when he looked out at the water and saw a floating dead body. Someone called the police. As the 49ers loaded buses for the stadium, players watched investigators and even a coroner’s van pull into the marina. On Friday afternoon, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said the incident was still under investigation.”
Jones was able to put the jarring episode behind him, throwing for 342 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in the win. He dealt with a sore knee, cramping and even vomited during the game, as Russini noted, but he persisted.
“He played his ass off, man,” Niners’ head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters. “He was unbelievable in the first half. He got banged up there in the second half and battled through it. He protected the ball and, going against that defense and throwing the ball that many times, not having a turnover and protecting the ball like he did, I can’t say enough good things about Mac.”
Jones has been a revelation in backup duty for the Niners, throwing for 905 yards, six touchdowns and one interception while completing 66.7 percent of his passes and taking five sacks in three starts this year for the injured Brock Purdy. The Niners have been beset by injuries in general—Nick Bosa, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings were among the other players out on Thursday night—but somehow have managed to open the season with a 4-1 record.
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